LCQ7: Improving community facilities in Kowloon City District

     ​Following is a question by the Hon Starry Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (March 13):
 
Question:
      
     It has been reported that the Kowloon City District (including Ho Man Tin and Hung Hom) is a relatively old community with inadequate ancillary community facilities as well as ageing cultural and leisure facilities, and for a number of recreation and sports (R&S) facilities (including sports centres, basketball courts and tennis courts) in the district, their numbers do not meet the standards provided in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) as the Government announced in the 2018-2019 Budget that it would expedite the implementation of projects to construct some new facilities for which the community had been longing in various districts, and the selected project in the Kowloon City District is the construction of the Ho Man Tin Government Complex with facilities including a community hall, a multi-purpose conference room, a residential care home for the elderly cum day care unit for the elderly, an Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness, an integrated family service centre and a district R&S centre, of the latest development timetable for the Complex (including the time of applying for funding, and commencing and completing works), as well as the expected commissioning time of the various related facilities, the numbers of their beneficiaries and their service details;
 
(2) as it has been reported that with redevelopment projects in Hung Hom commencing one after another in recent years, the population will significantly increase in the future, whether the authorities will, in order to cater for the needs of the population in the district, consider adopting the "single site, multiple use" model to develop the Wuhu Street Temporary Playground in Hung Hom into a government complex, so as to provide cultural and sports facilities, a public clinic, an elderly service centre, a day child care centre, etc; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) as the scope of the open space project at Hung Hom Waterfront includes the construction of a children's playground with diversified inclusive play equipment, as well as the provision of a viewing deck whose design will imitate a ship under construction to resemble the shipbuilding scene in the Whampoa Dock in the old days, of the latest progress of the project?

Reply:

President:

     Various parts of the question involve individual district facilities and projects in Kowloon City District under different bureaux/departments (B/Ds). Having consulted relevant B/Ds, my reply is as follows:
     
(1) Regarding the proposed development of a joint-user complex in Ho Man Tin, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) and relevant departments are currently conducting studies on the planning and facilities of the complex to ensure that the relevant facilities (e.g. community hall and residential care home for the elderly with a day care unit) and services will meet the needs of the local community. Upon completion of preparatory work, the HAD will co-ordinate and take forward the project in accordance with the established practice, including consulting the relevant panel of the Legislative Council (LegCo) and submitting the funding proposal to the Finance Committee (FC) for approval.

(2) At present, under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the site of Wuhu Street Temporary Playground in Hung Hom provides an outdoor basketball court for public use free of charge, which has all along been well-received. The LCSD currently has no plan to develop the site at this stage. Should there be any plan for development in the future, the Government will for sure consider the "single site, multiple use" model, so as to reprovision the existing basketball court and provide more community facilities.

(3) The project scope of Open Space at Hung Hom Waterfront includes upgrading the existing waterfront promenade and developing an open space at Kin Wan Street. The project was commenced by the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) under the policy supervision of the then Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) (now the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau upon restructuring) upon funding approval obtained by the then HAB from the FC of LegCo in July 2021.

     ​The upgrading works of the Hung Hom Promenade are carried out in phases with a pedestrian link retained, allowing the promenade to be partially opened for public use during construction. The first phase of the upgrading works has been completed and reopened in the first half of 2023. The second phase of the works is currently in progress.

     As for the open space at Kin Wan Street, which is under construction, both active leisure facilities (including a basketball court, fitness stations and a children's playground) and passive leisure facilities (including a viewing deck, landscaped area and seating area) will be provided. The children's playground will be integrated with both the waterfront environment and landscape design, and provide inclusive play equipment suitable for children of different ages. As for the viewing deck, its design imitates a ship in the course of construction, which is reminiscent of the shipbuilding history of the Whampoa Dock in the old days.

     According to the ArchSD, it is expected that the whole project will be completed by the end of 2024.
 
Ends/Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Issued at HKT 14:55
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